Rochdale gunman jailed

Rochdale gunman Man San Chan

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A man has been jailed after being found with a collection of guns in Rochdale.

Man San Chan 31, of St Dominics Way, Middleton, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in a public place, possession of a prohibited weapon and possession of an automatic rifle.

Today, Tuesday 13 January 2009, he has been sentenced to five years in jail.

Chan's collection of weapons was exposed when he was arrested on suspicion of driving while disqualified, after officers stopped him in a Mercedes CLK230, driving between Heywood and Middleton, on Tuesday 9 September 2008.

When officers searched the Mercedes after Chan was taken into custody, they found an imitation Walther P99 semi-automatic handgun in the glove box.

Chan was then arrested on suspicion of possession of a section 1 firearm.

After this find, a warrant to search Chan's house on St Dominic's Way was then authorised.

As soon as the officers searching the house walked in, they found a black Reck Int 92 handgun in the living room, along with blank firing ammunition for the gun.

Another two handguns were then found in the upstairs bedroom.

A full seizure by armed officers then took place, and as a result of this another handgun was found, along with two rifles in a bag. Ammunition for all of the weapons was also found.

Detective Constable John Schofield said: "Chan had potentially deadly guns at his disposal, especially the rifle, which in the wrong hands could well have ended up with someone being killed.

"Rochdale, and Greater Manchester in general, wants our streets to be free of guns, and we can assure our communities that we are doing all we can to ensure that the likes of Chan and their guns are kept well away from them."

Greater Manchester Police's Xcalibre Task Force is the dedicated unit to combating guns and gun crime in Greater Manchester.